I've been a huge fan of the series of split singles that Rob Moss and Skin-Tight Skin have released with some of their musical friends. Moss (ex Government Issue and Artificial Peace) has had a remarkable second act with his band Skin-Tight Skin since 2020. In addition to his three excellent full-length albums, his split singles with Arthur Alexander, The Amplifier Heads, and Shake Some have been must-hear events.
The concept is always the same: Moss collaborates with a band or artist he admires, and they each cover one of the other's songs. The results are never disappointing, and no one ever settles for a straight re-make. Part of the appeal is that Moss collaborates with artists who are kindred spirits but not necessarily completely similar in musical style. It's always fascinating to hear Moss's own songs transformed, and it's always interesting to hear him put his signature on other people's songs.
His latest split is with the brilliant New York City-based singer/songwriter Eytan Mirsky, who has been a mainstay of the indie rock world since the mid-'90s. Of all of Moss's splits, this has been the most intriguing one so far. For this release, Moss is backed by Tom McNally (bass, handclaps) and Steve Naff (drums, percussion) along with special guest star Saul Koll (The Lovesores and The Guerrilla Teens) on lead guitar. Moss and Skin-Tight Skin take on Mirsky's song "Good Hair Day" off his 2016 album Funny Money and reimagine it as a '70s-style punk ripper. Rather than try and compete with the original (which is truly a perfect song), Moss and friends genuinely make it their own. If you listen closely, you can tell it's the same song, but this is worlds apart from Mirsky's version. And that's a good thing. I enjoy these splits so much because they celebrate great songwriting. If you're not yet familiar with Mirsky's catalog, hearing this song will make sure wish that you were!
Mirsky, backed by Peter Kohl (guitar, bass, percussion, backing vocals), Tommy Mandel (piano, organ), and Peter McDade (drums), offers up a wonderful rendition of "What Happened (to the Rock 'n' Roll)?" off of Moss's 2024 album, RECORDS. While the original was very glam rock, Mirsky's interpretation has more of a '70s pop soul vibe to it — almost to the point that you could be convinced that this is one of his own songs. There's even a slightly different feel to the lyrics based on how Mirsky sings them. The song comes off less cynical and more wistful, yet the spirit of the song remains unchanged. Popular music is not what it used to be, and we've lost something valuable because of it.
If you've enjoyed Moss's albums with Skin-Tight Skin, these splits are indispensable. And if you have come to discover some new artists along the way, that's the whole point. Rob Moss and Eytan Mirsky are very, very different in their musical approaches. Yet they are both exceptional artists and genuine originals. They've collaborated on a split single that ought to interest any fan of great music.
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